


There is no place like home

by Pepper (Zalt)



Series: Walking the Rainbow [1]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, spoilers for Thrawn Alliances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 05:48:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15924143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zalt/pseuds/Pepper
Summary: Somewhere in the multiverse, Governor Pryce was still on the Chimaera when the Purrgils arrived and abducted the Seventh Fleet.





	There is no place like home

**Author's Note:**

> A little offering for Fluff Friday on the "once bitten thryce shy" discord. Any similarity to canon is entirely coincidental. (Edit October 2018: Added two more parts as "Walking the Rainbow".)

*** Place: Somewhere in the Unknown Regions

*** Time: Half a year before the battle of Yavin

"This is preposterous! We've been trapped in this maelstrom for months now, and the Jedi _still_  won't cooperate?" Arihnda fumed, stalking back and forth, clenching her hands in frustration. "Infuriating boy. Does he not realize he is as trapped here as we are? Doomed to die here of old age unless he guides us out of this maze?" She scowled at Thrawn, who was watching her cautiously, no doubt still conscious of her one really spectacular melt-down since they arrived here. "Are you REALLY certain there is no other way? No trick of the nav-computers, no hidden paths known to the Chiss? I mean, your people live out here, and you DO move around. Surely there is another way than waiting for that... that idiot to cooperate."

Thrawn spoke patiently. "None that are relevant to our current situation. The noise of the star factories and black holes make any attempt at communication with my people futile. We cannot safely move at more than sub-light speed. Which would take more than our combined life-times to make enough progress to call for help or find a safe hyper-lane. I am sorry, Governor. I share your wish that you had been safe back on Lothal, instead of being on the Chimaera when the purrgil attacked." Unexpectedly, he sighed and ran a blue hand through his hair, leaving it mussed. A lock of black hair fell into his face. Compared to his usual glacial calm, it was as close as she had ever seen Thrawn come to expressing distress at their situation. Belatedly, it occurred to her that this situation was no less stressful for him than for her. And he carried the responsibility for all the survivors of the Seventh fleet as well as concern for his own life. And hers.

"Call me Arihnda." The words left her mouth on their own volition. She cleared her throat awkwardly, adding. "After what happened on Lothal, I would no longer be a Governor if I were to return. More likely, they would execute me for my failure." And as she spoke, she knew the truth of it. "I cannot go back to the Empire. None of us can. I... suppose the best we can hope for is to ration and explore for raw materials locally, and hope a patrol from your people find us. Or something." An unfamiliar feeling pressed at the back of her eyes. Tears? Ridiculous. She had not cried since she was a baby. She quickly turned around to hide her shame from Thrawn, fighting to hold back the tears.

... and then there was a gentle touch on her shoulder. A blue hand, a quiet whisper. "Arihnda. I am so sorry. I wish I could have spared you from this." Was... was that a tremble in his voice? She turned back reluctantly. She looked at him. He looked at her. And suddenly, they were in each others arms, clinging on for grim life. And his lips sought hers, and her hands tugged at his uniform, and for a while they could hold the darkness at bay.

  
*** Time: Three months before the battle of Yavin

"The Jedi was sniggering at me today, I swear! Why do you even let him walk around free, Thrawn?" Arihnda sulked. She was feeling more tired and run-down than usual. Probably a virus or something... she'd had bouts of nausea, too. And the smirk on Ezra's face whenever he passed her lately was getting really, really annoying.

"Pressure and threats did not work. Perhaps engendering a feeling of camaraderie and goodwill will. We have nothing to lose, after all." Thrawn spoke soothingly, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "You are looking rather pale. Perhaps you should speak with the medics." When she looked reluctant, he added hopefully. "Please?"

Kriff the man, he knew she couldn't say no to those pleading eyes. "Oh, all right." She rolled her eyes, but was mollified when he pulled her closer and added a sweet kiss to the request.

  
*** Time: Two months, twenty-nine days, twenty-three hours before the battle of Yavin

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I AM PREGNANT! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

  
** Time: Two months, twenty-nine days, twenty-one hours before the battle of Yavin

"HE'S SNIGGERING AGAIN! MAKE HIM STOP!" Arihnda pointed a furious finger at Ezra, who did indeed have a rather clear expression of schadenfreude.

Thrawn looked between them with the expression of a man who had just been hit in the head with a falling sky and was expecting a second fall any moment. "Ah. I must second the request, Ezra Bridger. We need to discuss this. Reasonably. And you were after all the one who sought me out, telling me of your vision and how it could affect us."

Arihnda whirled, her furious finger pointing at Thrawn now. "There will be no discussion! This is idiotic! What ludicrous idea, that Chiss babies can navigate hyperspace! It's even more insane than the idea that I would ever have a Chiss baby. That medic is out of his mind! We took precautions!"

Well, at least that wiped the smug look from Ezra Bridgers face. "Uh, the Force moves in mysterious ways? Sorry." He added solemnly. "But my visions have been clear. We will be here for years, and the only guide out will be a Chiss child." He coughed. "Or half-Chiss child, it appears. The child, the warrior, and the fool will set us free. Just like in the old Lasat legends."

"Hah! And I am the fool, I suppose? You're so transparent, Bridger. You two can have your little joke, I am not staying here for your amusement."

She strode out. Kriff. This was insane. And Force or not, the medic could fix it. Even if it was true. Even if it meant they would never get out. Even if she would never know what a half-Chiss child would look like. Like Thrawn, perhaps, with blue skin and bright red eyes, and intelligence and courage and hidden sweetness... her steps slowed, and she gingerly touched a hand to her stomach. Never...

  
*** Time: Half a year after the battle of Yavin

"Congratulations, it's a girl! Healthy and strong." The medic handed the white-wrapped little bundle to the waiting Thrawn, who looked down in wonder -- at a tiny white face with dark hair, the very image of her mother. There was a moment of disappointment that this would not be the Chiss navigator they had all set their hopes on, but it faded immediately for a rush of warmth and joy. This was his daughter. His child. How he wished his brother Thrass could have been here, to tease him for being the last one of them to form a family, to admire his half-human niece. With an exhalation of joy and sadness and hope and disappointment all jumbled together, Thrawn lifted his daughter close, pressing a kiss to her forehead and whispering a blessing to her in Cheunh, then whispered in basic. "You are loved, little one. And when your mother has recovered, I will tell her so. This new exile will not be so bad, now that you have joined us." And as he spoke, the child yawned, and opened her eyes. Wide and unfocused. And glowing a bright red, the very image of his own.

  
*** Time: Year Nine after the battle of Yavin

"Mommy! Mommy! Guess what happened! Mooom!" The sound of a child's eager voice was heard coming down the corridor, growing loud as the door opened.

Arihnda put down her datapad just in time, and smiled at her daughter who ran at full speed into the room that now functioned as the Thrawn/Pryce family living room. "Easy, kitten! What's the rush?" She rose and caught little Ras just as she was tackle-hugged at full speed, and swung the flushed and happy girl around once before setting her down. The office door opened, Thrawn joining them to see what was going on.

Ras hugged her mother tight, then wriggled out of the hug and ran to her father, who picked her up to get his own hug.

"Well, this sounds like important news indeed. Did you and Ezra have fun training today?" Thrawn quirked an eyebrow at his daughter, who held onto him as she wiggled into a more comfortable position in his arms, then told him solemnly.

"I saw them. The paths through space. Just like Ezra said I would. I could _see_  them, all shiny and twisty and moving."

Arihnda and Thrawn stared at each other, dumbfounded.

The girl kept chatting, merrily. "I can see them, and one of them goes to daddy's home, and one to mommy's home, and Ezra said I need to learn a bit more first, but then we can go home. And he said you had to decide where we go. And that his vision never showed which fork of the path."

Arihnda walked closer, slowly wrapping her arms around her daughter and Thrawn, as he freed one to wrap it around her in return, both of them still stunned by the revelation.

Ras looked from one to the other. "That is good, isn't it? You wanted to go home? I can show you!"

Thrawn and Arihnda exchanged a long look. No words were needed between them. They looked down at Ras, and Thrawn spoke warmly. "We are already home, beloved daughter. But when you have completed your training, we will be happy to see where your paths take us.

*** The End ***


End file.
